Welcome to Boy Scout Troop 373

Boy Scouts is lots of fun and the adventure is awaiting you! As a Boy Scout you will have the opportunity to do such things as Boy Scout Summer Camp, Klondike Derby, canoeing, hiking and camping just for starters! The list goes on…where you go and what you do is up to you!

Troop 373 strives to be a boy led troop and teaches the scouts the Patrol Method of Scouting. This means YOU, as the scout, helps determine what we do, where we go and even what we eat, not the adults!

Troop 373 is a unit focused on camping and outdoor activities. We try to have 1 outing a month and encourage all boys to participate (parents are welcome too). We try to offer many opportunities for the scouts to develop strong outdoor skills and earn Rank and Merit at their own pace!

The troop is chartered out of Central Presbyterian Church in Lafayette. We meet Tuesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 PM.

We hope you will be one of the newest members of our troop! Come to a meeting and see if troop 373 meets your expectations for a Boy Scout Troop!

Click on the link below to watch a TV segment about an event Troop 373 participated in - The Tripoli Rocket Launch! The Troop held a concession stand at the rocket launch as a fundraiser and the boys also built and shot off a rocket --

Access to the Private Website is granted to new scouts and their families upon joining!

Basics of Boy Scouts...

Who's in charge here?

Boy Scouts is a boy led organization; adults are present to guide, offer advice, and ensure activities are safe.

The Scouting program uses The Patrol Method, which means the Troop members will ELECT their own leaders; individual Patrol Leaders and a Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) who takes on "ownership" and holds the actual leadership position within the Troop. The SPL appoints an assistant (Assistant Senior Patrol Leader - ASPL) and various other positions such as Scribe, Quartermaster, Historian, Librarian, etc.

Adult leaders work with the SPL and ASPL to make program decisions, plan agendas, and lead meetings.

Patrol Leaders are responsible for the well being and actions of their individual patrol and represent their patrol in the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC).

At the PLC meeting (chaired by the SPL), Patrol Leaders plan details regarding future trips and troop meetings. Adult leaders keep them on track with suggestions and advice, but the decisions are ultimately left up to the boys.

Boy leadership makes sure the Troop is doing the things the boys themselves want to do, as well as developing the leadership, communication, problem resolution, and organizational skills that underscore why Scouts excel in all other areas of their lives.

Scout Oath

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is Trustworthy.
A Scout tells the truth. He is honest, and he keeps his promises. People can depend on him.

A Scout is Loyal.
A Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation.

A Scout is Helpful.
A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward.

A Scout is Friendly.
A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own.

A Scout is Courteous.
A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along.

A Scout is Kind.
A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing.

A Scout is Obedient.
A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobeying them.

A Scout is Cheerful.
A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.

A Scout is Thrifty.
A Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.

A Scout is Brave.
A Scout can face danger although he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him.

A Scout is Clean.
A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards. He helps keep his home and community clean.

A Scout is Reverent.
A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

Scout Motto

Be Prepared.
That's the motto of the Boy Scouts.

"Be prepared for what?" someone once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting,

"Why, for any old thing." said Baden-Powell.

The training you receive in your Troop will help you live up to the Scout motto. When someone has an accident, you are prepared because of your first aid instruction. Because of lifesaving practice, you might be able to save a non-swimmer who has fallen into deep water.

But Baden-Powell wasn't thinking just of being ready for emergencies. His idea was that all Scouts should prepare themselves to become productive citizens and to give happiness to other people. He wanted each Scout to be ready in mind and body for any struggles, and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges might lie ahead.

Be prepared for life - to live happily and without regret, knowing that you have done your best. That's what the Scout motto means.

Scout Slogan

Do a Good Turn Daily.

This is the slogan of the Boy Scouts.

Some Good Turns are big - saving a life, helping out after floods or other disasters, recycling community trash, working with your Patrol on conservation projects.

But Good Turns are often small, thoughtful acts - helping a child cross a busy street, going to the store for an elderly neighbor, cutting back brush that is blocking a sign, doing something special for a brother or sister, welcoming a new student to your school.

A Good Turn is more than simple good manners. It is a special act of kindness.